THE BATTLE OF MANTINEA, 418 BC THEME AGIS VERSUS THE ARGIVES In 418 BC, Sparta found itself humiliated. After the Atheni- an successes at Pylos, Sphacteria, and Megara, the Spar - tan myth of invincibility had been severely challenged. Now Sparta’s old enemy, the city state of Argos, had bro- ken its truce with Sparta and formed an alliance with the Achaeans, Eleans, and Athenians. This new alliance was to challenge Sparta’s hegemony over the Peloponnese. fter the capture of Or- chomenos in Arcadia, the Argive alliance marched By David Davies to threaten the key town of Tegea. This town was of stra- Ategic importance as it controlled the Spartan officer and soldiers of the late fifth century - Spartan exit from Laconia. Factions the description of the trans- inside Tegea had contacted the allies verse crest comes straight and promised to join the Argive al- from Thucydides' report of liance. Meanwhile, the Eleans had

the Battle of Mantinea. attacked Lepreum, a further blow to

© Johnny Shumate x Spartan power in the region.

Sparta was in turmoil and its king, Agis II, was facing the Spartans’ an- ger for failing to control the situa- tion. He faced severe sanctions if he failed to act. The Spartan army marched and secured Tegea, but Agis could not afford to wait in- side the walls of the town and hope the Argives would go away. Instead, to bring them to battle, he would need to threaten allied or Argive territory and drive the allied army into the field.

At first, Agis moved against the city of Mantinea (one of the al- lied cities), but the allies refused to give battle, securing their place on a rocky outcrop. It is probable that the grain harvest had already been secured so there were no crops for the Spartans to threaten. Desperate for victory, Agis contemplated as-

1 Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy 102 Spartans face off against their old rival Argos and its allies. Unusually, the Spartans did not occupy the right wing. saulting the Argive allied army, but honour on the right wing, and the Ar- • 2500 Tegean infantry (regular elder Spartans advised against it. At- give allies did the same with the Man- and levy hoplites) tacking an army in unfavourable ter- tineans, placing them on their right. • 300 Tegean cavalry rain of their choosing would have been costly. Instead, Agis ordered his The estimated numbers are as follows: Argive-allied army (from left to right) men to divert the courses of rivers to Spartan army (from left to right) • 300 Athenian & allied cavalry flood Mantinean territory. The Argive • 300 Spartan and allied cavalry (medium cavalry) alliance reacted and quickly took to (medium and light cavalry) • 1000 Athenian infantry (regular the field, lining up ready for battle. • 600 Sciritae allies (levy hoplites) hoplites) The allies had been restless with their • 2000 Brasidian veterans • 2500 Argive infantry (regular generals’ lack of decisiveness and (Neodamodes, unarmoured but and levy hoplites) were eager to engage what they saw veteran hoplites) • 500 Argive Epilektoi Hoplitai as retreating Spartans. • 500 Spartan Brasidian veterans (elite hoplites) (elite hoplites) • 2000 Arcadians, Cleonaeans, The Spartans had a surprise of their • General Agis II and 500 hippeis Orneans, and Aeginetans own, as part of their forces had been royal bodyguard (elite hoplites) (regular and levy hoplites) concealed in a nearby wood. It is • 2500 Spartan infantry (regular • 2000 Mantineans (Regular and possible this was a deliberate ploy hoplites) levy hoplites) to make their force seem smaller and encourage the Argive alliance to at- tack. When the enemy had lined up, the remaining Spartan forces Espin © Rocío emerged from the wood and lined up in good order, ready for the fight. It was too late for the Argives to retreat and so battle was joined.

PLAYING MANTINEA We have a good account of the dif- ferent sides for Mantinea, thanks to Thucydides. The Spartan army con- tained veterans of Brasidas’ campaign including Neodamodes, Helots who had been freed for actively serving in the Spartan military. The Spartans placed the Tegeans in the place of

Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy 102 2 In a complete reversal of history, the Spartan left flank overlaps the Mantinean right, which is soon defeated.

Each individual force probably in- overlapped (not the easiest thing in tried to manoeuvre to redress this bal- cluded its own light infantry and phalanx formations, as most rulesets ance. However, the Spartans had the skirmishers. We can assume that reg- attest in their movement rules). Effec- numbers and the drill to take full advan- ular and elite hoplites are armoured tively, it’ll be the battle of the flanks tage and press their attack on the allied while levy hoplites are unarmoured. that determines the outcome. left flank. With their left flank folding, and despite having a similar advantage Rule sets Victory conditions against the Spartan left flank, the allied There are several excellent rule sets This is a standard battle, so use stand- troops began to break formation, and out there for this period. Page 37 of ard victory conditions for your rule soon the allied army routed. the Biblical & Classical lists for Hail set. Whichever side breaks first loses. Caesar provides lists for the Pelopon- While the Spartans have a slight nu- The Argives were forced to cede nesian War. Swordpoint has lists in merical advantage, but this should the territory they captured and ally its Classical Armies supplement. not sway the battle too heavily. against the Athenians to force them out of the Peloponnesian peninsula. The size at which you play Mantinea CONCLUSION Agis had been successful in winning will depend upon the forces you have Initially, the right side of each army a great victory and restoring both his available. You could break down into overlapped the other, so both sides and Spartan prestige. WS&S game units of 300 to 500 men to the unit, or 1000 men to the unit with 500 men being a small unit.

Smaller-scale games, such as Men of Bronze or Mortal Gods, could be used for Mantinea by splitting the gameplay between several players, each controlling their own faction and playing the several ‘mini’ battles on one large table. Effectively, each pair of gamers would be playing their section of the battle.

Playing the battle Setup is the key to this battle. Each side sets up with their right flank overlapping the enemy’s left flank. Historically, both sides tried to wheel The Mantinean alliance attacks the Spartan flanks with cavalry and various light skirmishers. to prevent their weak side from being

3 Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy 102